13 Remote-Control Aerial Tours of Abandoned Places

The influx of relatively inexpensive, remotely-controlled flying machines sporting high-definition video cameras has meant that long-forgotten locales can be explored more easily and less dangerously than in the past.

The influx of relatively inexpensive, remotely-controlled flying machines sporting high-definition video cameras has meant that long-forgotten locales can be explored more easily and less dangerously than in the past. In that spirit, here are videos of 13 abandoned places being explored thanks to the magic of flight.

Hashima Island, Japan

From the video’s description:

Gunkanjima (“Battleship Island”) is one of the world’s most well-known “ghost towns.” Originally developed as a seabed coal mining facility, more than 5000 people inhabited the island at the peak of its prosperity. The last inhabitants left in 1974, and today the island remains uninhabited. Using a radio-controlled helicopter equipped with a Sony’s Action Cam, we took some aerial footage of this breathtaking deserted island to serve as a record for generations to come.